Thad McCotter Offers Himself As Anti-Romney Fodder

Tommorrow, Thad McCotter, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, will announce that he’s running for President in 2012. When it comes to the McCotter for President campaign, however, there’s less than meets the eye.

Thaddeus McCotter is known as a congressional lightweight. His legislative work includes a bill fortax breaks for dog lingerie. He’s been in the House of Representatives for less than ten years – hardly presidential experience.

Given even just a moment’s consideration, it’s plain that McCotter can’t hope to win this presidential election. He can’t even expect to win the Republican nomination.

McCotter surely knows this – and he’s not even trying to win. That much is made clear by the fact that he’s chosen Saturday in the middle of the 4th of July weekend to announce his candidacy. That’s about the last time anyone would make an announcement – unless they wanted it to be ignored. That seems to be just what Representative McCotter wants.

So, if Thaddeus McCotter isn’t really trying to win the White House in 2012, what is he up to?

Self-promotion is surely part of the equation. More than that, though, Thaddeus McCotter is allowing himself to be used as anti-Romney fodder.

Consider the quote from McCotter that’s circulating most widely today, on the eve of McCotter’s presidential campaign announcement: “Motor City hospitality dictates a Michigan message to Mitt that our struggling families, entrepreneurs and workers think Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama are not rivals, they’re running mates.”

It’s about Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney comes from Michigan, where his father’s political legacy is still remembered. Romney’s grab for the Republican nomination depends upon Michigan. Thaddeus McCotter is from Michigan, and is attacking Romney.

The calculation isn’t hard to make. McCotter’s goal is to endear himself to some force within the Republican Party by draining enough votes away from Mitt Romney to prevent his capture of the Republican nomination.

What does McCotter hope to gain from this maneuver? A spot in the Pawlenty Cabinet, perhaps?